A children's theater play showcasing the local lifestyle in Beijing's hutongs, the traditional alleys formed by courtyard residences, is about to kick off in China's capital in early August.

The play is an adaptation from the high-rated book Sanya the Cat's Rooftop Adventure by the Beijing-born author, Ye Guangling. Ticket sales opened on Thursday for the launch of the first stage performance at the Beijing Nationality Culture Palace Theatre, in Xicheng district, on August 4.

The play is set in Dongcheng, one of Beijing's busiest and oldest districts, with rich stories to tell. A happy and naïve little girl nicknamed Yaya the Mouse spent a carefree childhood together with her friends and her cat Sanya in a hutong. The children would catch "bat fairy" and built their secret garden on the roof of their house. They later escape to the outside of the town to look for the "rainbow's feet" in adventure.


The stage set is a detailed representation of Beijing in 1950s.

The play grasps and maintains the essence of its original novel, presenting a contrasting world with the everyday detailed life in the hutongs and the unique atmosphere of the country's capital.

Walking into the site of the press conference held on Thursday to promote the play, one can enjoy the stalls on the streets that were a representative scene in Beijing at that time, where the young audience will see vendors selling ornamental gold fish and the most common local beverage brand, Beibingyang or Arctic Ocean, which is still popular, Zha Jiang Mian or fried sauce noodles, and a series of eco-friendly toys such as comic books, rubber bands, and the wooden Luban Lock puzzles. They form a summarized presentation of the unique memory of Beijing's residents during the 1950s.

"This performance is a display of the most common and representative lifestyle in Beijing. We wish children can completely enjoy the show and have something to think about after the performance," Dong Ning, General Manager of the Beijing Performing and Arts Group and president of the Beijing Children's Art Theatre, told the media.

Immersive stage

In addition to being faithful to the original work, the children's play values the design elements such as stage beauty, lighting, costumes and puppets, and while trying to be realistic, it is committed to mix dream and reality in the play.

The stage style is never old-fashioned. In the perspective of a child, it will show the audience the hidden fun in the hutong, make the audience feel the coolness under the shade of the trees, and tell them how to find the rainbow in the sky.

"This time, we have made some innovations in the performance and designed an immersive scenario before the official opening of the show, immersing the audience in the atmosphere of being in the old Beijing hutong of the 1950s," said director Wang Ze.


Crossover cooperation

Based on the author's own childhood experience, Ye wrote a trilogy, including Uncle Mouse Wake Up Late, Sanya the Cat's Rooftop Adventure, and The Old Black Dog's Trouble. The trilogy outlines the innocent but colorful childhood of the protagonist Yaya and shows her vigorous vitality and her friends, as well as the profound influence of traditional Chinese culture on children.

In 2020, a strategic cooperation was launched between the Beijing Performing and Arts Group and the Beijing Publishing Group where the trilogy will be moved onto the stage. The series also became the first cooperation project in the creation of children's drama for the Beijing Children's Art Theatre.

In addition to the soon to-be-released Sanya the Cat's Rooftop Adventure, Uncle Mouse Wake Up Late will also hit the stage on August 17 at the Beijing Century Theatre.